This invention relates to a custom-fitted lumbosacral support pad designed to fit within the pocket of a elastic lumbo-sacral support belt of the general type which encircles the body at level of the lumbosacral plexus. The support pad may be used to treat injury to the back or to prevent injury to the back, as in the case of supports commonly worn around the lower back by workers who are required to handle heavy loads.
Any great force can tear the muscles and tendons of the lower back in the region of the lumbosacral plexus. This type of injury is common in sports and work occupations that require pushing or pulling against great resistance, such as lifting a heavy weight from the ground or pushing against a heavy object. It also occurs in sports that require sudden twisting of the back; turning to dribble after a rebound in basketball, swinging a golf club in golf or swinging a bat in baseball.
Risk factors for lower back injury include an exaggerated curve of the lower spine, a pelvis that tilts forward, inflexible or weak back muscles, weak abdominal muscles and tight, inflexible hamstrings. The back is also prone to injury when the spine is weakened by arthritis, misaligned vertebrae, slipped or ruptured discs, or a spinal bone tumor.
A lower back injury usually causes sudden pain in the lower back during twisting, pushing, or pulling. Thereafter, the pain may momentarily subside, prompting further exercise and injury. As the torn muscle or tendon continues to bleed and swell, spasms occur, causing severe pain. Because the spasms can be aggravated by almost any movement, rest, compression, ice and support to the back are commonly prescribed treatments.
The invention takes advantage of polymer chemistry to permit quick and easy molding of a lumbosacral support pad to the lower back. Shock attenuation is increased since the custom fit spreads contact between the pad and the back over a wider surface area. The lumbosacral support pad according to the invention can be molded exactly to the shape of the back of the wearer, thus obtaining a more accurate and thus more protective fit. The lumbosacral support pad is then hold against the back by a lumbosacral support bolt having a pocket within which tho lumbosacral support pad fits, by an elastic bandage or other device.
Some prior art devices are pre-formed into a "universal" conformation designed to approximate the back conformation of the average user. In reality, such devices fit no one.
Other prior art devices include support pads which are constructed of thermosetting materials, which are heated and then formed to the body while heated. These products require a source of heat, and are susceptible to either over-or-underheating. In addition, body heat itself can soften or at least increase the flexibility of the pad, thereby decreasing the effectiveness of the protection offered by the pad. Some prior art pads include air bladders which provide an air cushion intended to conform to the back. All of these prior art devices achieve only an approximation of a truly proper and anatomically correct fit.
The present invention permits quick and easy application of a lumbosacral support pad to the lower back in such a way as to achieve a true custom fit. The moisture curable resin system used results in a very rigid support pad, which holds the shape of the molded pad to a very high degree. No heat is required, and a source of water is the only additional substance necessary to permanently harden the pad. Atmospheric moisture alone will cure the pad into its hardened position in a relatively short period of time, but the resin in or on the pad will typically be activated by dipping in or spraying water onto the support pad.